# Autobahn Therapeutics, Inc.

> Autobahn Therapeutics is a San Diego clinical-stage biotech building small-molecule medicines that reach the brain on purpose. Using a brain-targeting chemistry and prodrug platform, the company tunes where a drug goes - central versus peripheral - to unlock validated CNS biology that has been hard to drug safely. Its lead program, elunetirom (ABX-002), is an oral, once-daily, brain-penetrant CNS thyroid hormone receptor agonist in Phase 2 trials for major depressive disorder and bipolar depression, backed by more than $200 million in venture funding and a 2026 FDA Fast Track designation.

- **Founded:** 2017
- **Headquarters:** San Diego, California, United States
- **Founders:** Thomas Scanlan (Scientific Co-Founder & Senior Advisor (Professor, Oregon Health & Science University))
- **Team size:** ~35 employees
- **Products:** Elunetirom (ABX-002), ABX-003, ABX-101, Brain-targeting chemistry & prodrug platform
- **Notable:** FDA Fast Track designation for elunetirom in adjunctive bipolar depression (May 2026)., Positive Phase 2 topline data in bipolar depression: 75% response rate and a 16.8-point average reduction in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale at six weeks, hitting primary and all key secondary endpoints., Raised an oversubscribed $100M Series C in 2024, on top of a $76M Series B launch in 2020 (~$208.7M total).

## Products & services

- **Elunetirom (ABX-002)** — Lead program: an oral, once-daily, brain-penetrant CNS thyroid hormone receptor (TR-beta) agonist in Phase 2 trials as an adjunctive treatment for major depressive disorder (AMPLIFY) and bipolar depression (AMPLIFY-BD). Works by activating brain genes tied to cellular energy production, mitochondrial biogenesis and synaptic plasticity.
- **ABX-003** — Next-generation TR-beta-selective thyromimetic paired with a peripheral FAAH inhibitor to further enhance brain distribution of free drug; IND-enabling activities completed.
- **ABX-101** — Brain-targeting sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator for neuroimmunologic and neuroinflammatory disorders, designed to deliver meaningful drug concentrations to the brain that other S1P modulators cannot; preclinical.
- **Brain-targeting chemistry & prodrug platform** — Core technology that tunes peripheral versus central drug exposure, enabling disease-specific distribution profiles and selective delivery of small molecules into the central nervous system.

## Achievements

- FDA Fast Track designation for elunetirom in adjunctive bipolar depression (May 2026).
- Positive Phase 2 topline data in bipolar depression: 75% response rate and a 16.8-point average reduction in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale at six weeks, hitting primary and all key secondary endpoints.
- Raised an oversubscribed $100M Series C in 2024, on top of a $76M Series B launch in 2020 (~$208.7M total).
- Attracted strategic investment from Bristol Myers Squibb, Biogen and Pfizer.
- Advanced a three-program pipeline spanning neuropsychiatry and neuroimmunology from a single brain-targeting platform.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — FDA granted Fast Track designation to elunetirom for the adjunctive treatment of bipolar depression.
- **2026-04** — Company slated to present at the 25th Annual Needham Virtual Healthcare Conference.
- **2025-05** — Presented ABX-002 (elunetirom) Phase 1 clinical results at the 2025 ASCP Annual Meeting; reported positive Phase 2 topline data in bipolar depression.
- **2024-07** — Closed an oversubscribed $100M Series C financing led by Newpath Partners to fund Phase 2 trials.

## Links

- Website: https://autobahntx.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autobahn-therapeutics-inc

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/autobahn-therapeutics-inc
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Last updated: 2026-06-16